"P. N. Elrod - Vampire Files 08 - The Dark Sleep" - читать интересную книгу автора (Elrod P N)

boil right over.

But Escott was still talking and McCallen still listening, which was a promising sign. He must have
wanted more than a month's good wages out of the deal. Mary had authorized a payment of up to five
hundred dollars to get the stuff back, which was a hell of a lot of dough for anyone's pocket.

McCallen was shaking his head. It wasn't just an ordinary refusal, but something in that categorical class
from the way he wagged back an forth like a bad-tempered bear. He sneered at Escott's latest offer.
"Two hundredтАФit's worth ten times that much and more. Greedy? I'm not being greedy, only practical,
and if she'd wake up she'd see it herself. No, sir, I'll not be listening to you or to anyone else she sends.
Tell her to call me when she comes to her senses and not a moment sooner."

Everyone in the joint heard him and paused in their eating to stare. Escott started to speak, but
McCallen was already boosting from his chair and turning to leave. He had a solid square face, piercing
brown eyes under thick brows, a grim set to his mouth, and looked about as easy to stop as a runaway
bulldozer.

I pocketed the mirror and slid to the edge of the booth to be ready in case Escott wanted me to do
anything, but Mary was faster. She tore out and put herself right in McCallen's path.

"You're not going anywhere, Jason McCallen," she snapped.

He stopped in his tracks, surprised by her sudden appearance, and looked down at her, for she was tiny
next to him. "Well, well," he said, a bemused smile supplanting the irritation on his mug. He spared a
quick appraising glance for me as I stood by her, and evidently decided I was no real threat, then
pressed his full attention on the girl. "Mummy and Dadums let you out with only two chaperons? Youare
taking chances."

"I want those papers back. You must give them to me."

"Oh, I must, eh? Or what, you'll throw a tantrum?"

"They're not yours!"

"They were the last time I looked."

By now Escott had come up to join the party. He didn't appear too ruffled. "Perhaps if we adjourned
elsewhere we could settle all this tonight without getting acrimonious," he suggested.

"Give them back!" insisted Mary, ignoring him.

McCallen only grinned. It was in the wiseacre class, with intent to annoy. "No, I won't."

"You have to."

"Girl, I don't have to do anythingтАФexcept this." He seized her head in both his hands, bent low, and
planted a kiss right on her mouth. She struggled and beat on him, but he just as quickly released her,
grinning ear to ear.
 Bad idea to let her go like thatтАФshe cut loose with a scream. It was short, but made up for its brevity in
loudness and outrage. She took a swing at him, which he blocked like flicking off a fly. Then Escott